Tag Archives: cough

Because… common sense isn’t so common.

•Wash your hands frequently, says Captain Obvious. Thisincludes but is not limited to before eating, after using the bathroom, after sneezing, coughing and/or picking blowing your nose. Practice this fun soap, water and friction exercise long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song all the way through. That’s right, sing it with me… HAAAPPPPY BIRTHHHH…. Use extra time for long fingernails and rings. DAAAAAAYY TO YOUUUUUUU!!!!

•Keep your hands away from your face – especially your eyes, nose and mouth. Sick germs most often sneak into the body through these 3 easy-to-access portals. Most people infect themselves. This is a biggie. Always be mindful of your hands.

•Stay out of crowded places – Think about it; hundreds of people walk through commonly traveled places like Starbucks or convenience stores daily – coughing, sneezing and touching. Most public places are flu farms. It’s simple statistics…. The more people you’re exposed to, the more likely you are to contract the flu. Stay home.

•Stay home and keep your children home when they’re sick. Your personal quest for perfect attendance effects everyone. Working 8 hours with bronchitis does not qualify you for super dedicated employee status, it makes you inconsiderate. Keep your germs to yourself.

•Stay hydrated – Drink at least 64 oz/day of non-caffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages. The dry dehydrated state that throws your bodies essential electrolytes out of whack, also makes you a more susceptible host to the latest community shared illness. Get your drink on.

•Get enough rest – Step away from the computer, log out of Trivia Crack and hit the hay. Go to bed at a decent hour, nap when you can, sit down and take deep relaxing breaths every chance you get. Stress invites illness.

•Slow down – Just say no. Don’t over-schedule your life. Cut back on commitments or enlist help. Your kid doesn’t have to attend every single birthday party, Brownie meeting, ballet class or sporting event. If you’re feeling run down, modify their schedule or enlist help.

•Eat right. If you admittedly have a poor dietary practices take a multivitamin daily. Additional supplements such as vitamin c, zinc and echinacea are also thought to help build immunity.

•Cut back or quit smoking – Every cigarette counts. Smoking has been proven to lower your bodies resistance to illness. Tobacco smoke has chemicals and particles that irritate airways and lungs making them more susceptible to assault, injury and illness.

•Get a Flu Vaccination – Many people have strong opinions regarding the flu vaccine. Fact -The Flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. It is also highly recommended for children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised or have chronic health conditions like asthma or COPD. If you’re a healthy adult, it’s your prerogative whether or not to receive the vaccine.

The following is informational material penned by my school nurse persona as a guide for college students. While it’s not in sync with my usual comedic posts, it’s factual information worthy of being shared. Regular whacky posts will resume immediately following.

Thank you for your patience and stay well!

Protect yourself from the FLU!!!

The flu is caused by the influenza virus.

Antibiotics are therefore ineffective as it is a viral infection.

The most commonly prescribed medication for flu relief is called Tamiflu.

Tamiflu does not cure the flu, but it may lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration.

Roughly speaking, flu season runs from October to April, reaching it’s peak in mid February.

Your best defense against the flu is prevention. You can arm yourself against the flu by observing the following measures-

Wash your hands OFTEN with soap and water or an alcohol based hand rub.

Wash your hands for at least the length of time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice.

Seriously… sing the Happy Birthday song.

ALWAYS wash your hands before eating or preparing food, after using the bathroom and after blowing your nose or covering a cough.

Make it a habit to carry hand sanitizer during flu season.

Don’t share drinks or cigarettes.

Replace your toothbrush after you’ve been ill or sanitize it using boiling water. Keep your toothbrush isolated from other family members toothbrushes when you’re sick and vice versa.

Use disposable hand towels in your home or dorm room when you or others are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. This is how germs ENTER the body.

Wash your hands or use sanitizer immediately after having contact with frequently touched surfaces in the community such as door handles, ATM and elevator buttons, hand rails, the check-out conveyer in stores and even the pen used by God-knows-how-many-people for signing credit card transactions.

Get plenty of sleep, exercise, eat healthy and DRINK PLENTY of fluids. *Limit caffeine and alcohol as they act as a mild diuretic causing your body to actually LOSE FLUID.

Stop or at least cut back on smoking. Smoking makes you more susceptible to illnesses like pneumonia, bronchitis and the flu, as well as increasing the intensity and duration of illness. Seriously. Cut back by one or two cigarettes per day. Yes, you CAN do it and it will help.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing or use the crux of your arm.

If you have a flu-like illness stay home for 24 hours AFTER you’ve been fever free without the use of fever reducing medicines.

Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of receiving a flu vaccine.

What’s the difference between the common cold and the flu?

What do I do if I get the flu?

Treat each symptom individually. For instance, if you have a fever and cough you treat exactly that.

A tepid bath should be considered for children with a high fever to prevent febrile seizures. Never use cold water, ice or rubbing alcohol. This may actually cause your temperature to rise through shivering.

When to CALL YOUR DOCTOR or REPORT TO URGENT CARE for FEVER-

Temperature over 103 F

*Always report a fever over 100.4 (rectal) – in babies under 3 months of age*

Fever lasting more than 72 hours

Fever unresponsive to fever reducing medicines

Stiff neck or severe headache

Severe abdominal pain

SORE THROAT-

Most SORE THROATS are caused by viruses and are usually accompanied by other cold symptoms (runny nose, cough, red or watery eyes or sneezing) This type of sore throat is self limiting and is not helped with antibiotics.

Only CONFIRMED cases of STREP throat caused by the streptococcal bacterial are treated with antibiotics. You can have a rapid strep test done in your physicians office or an urgent care facility. Do not go to the emergency room for a sore throat unless you have difficulty breathing.

The emergency room is for emergencies only. If you’ve had the same sore throat for 4 days, it does not become an emergency on Friday at 5pm when your doctors office is closed. Call your doctor, (someone is always on call) or report to an urgent care facility.

Symptoms of STREP throat include SEVERE sore throat which usually comes on QUICKLY, SEVERE pain with swallowing, fever over 101 F, red swollen tonsils sometimes with white patches or streaks, tiny red spots (petechaie) on the back or roof of the mouth, headache, nausea and vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, body aches and rash.

*CALL YOUR DOCTOR or REPORT TO URGENT CARE for –

Cases of SEVERE asthma or bronchitis may require steroids and/or nebulizer treatments which are only available through your health care provider, urgent care or emergency room.

Difficulty breathing is considered an emergency.

BRONCHITIS is an inflammation of the bronchial passages that causes narrowing and the production of phlegm. It’s essentially treated the same as any cough (see above) with the exception that you should NOT take a cough suppressant for bronchitis.

Treatment of CONGESTION-

Use a warm mist humidifier or breathe in warm mist from the shower. This will help to open airways, moisten and thin mucous. You can add ginger, eucalyptus, menthol or Vicks ointment to the water for maximum benefit.

Fill the sink with hot water, drape a towel over your head and breath in the steam if you do not have a humidifier or shower available to you.

Take a DECONGESTANT- Sudafed.

Take NSAID pain relievers to help with pain and swelling- Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or Naproxen Sodium (Aleve).

For INSTANT and TEMPORARY relief from nasal stuffiness consider DECONGESTANT NASAL SPRAYS like Afrin or Neo-Synephrine. *It is very important not to use these for longer than 3 days, as this type medication can cause rebound nasal congestion. (Chronic nasal stuffiness) I cannot stress this enough. *Alternate nasal spray with plain saline spray for best results.

Hot CHICKEN SOUP thins mucous, improves the function of cilia (hairlike projections in nasal passages that protect the body from foreign bacteria and viruses) and may also improve the motion of disease-fighting white blood cells.

Massage your sinuses.

How to… http://m.wikihow.com/Massage-Your-Sinuses

*When to CALL YOUR DOCTOR or REPORT TO URGENT CARE for congestion or sinus related problems-

Fever 101 or greater

Sudden severe pain in face or head

Double vision or change in vision

Confusion or difficulty concentrating

Swelling and/or redness around one or both eyes

Stiff neck

Shortness of breath

Remember to consult your doctor or report to an urgent care facility if your symptoms are not an EMERGENCY.

The emergency room should be reserved for actual emergencies like difficulty breathing, chest pain, seizures, unbearable pain or traumatic injuries that must be treated immediately.

Immediately means symptoms that are potentially life threatening and cannot wait.

A sinus infection, cold or cough (without difficulty breathing) are NOT emergencies. Wounds requiring sutures can usually be treated in an Urgent Care facility, but may be case sensitive.

Use your best judgement.

*Disclosure- this guide is in no way intended to replace the advice of your physician. This is not medical advice. It’s purpose is to aid in managing your symptoms and to guide you in making prudent health decisions.